


The Future

by daggersandribbons



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: 5x12 was just a dream, Blood and Injury, Following Oswalds injury, Just a hint of Fluff, Other, doting Oswald
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23023156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daggersandribbons/pseuds/daggersandribbons
Summary: “I saw the future and in it, I was alive.” - Neil Hilborn
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot & Edward Nygma
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	The Future

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GokaiChange](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GokaiChange/gifts).



> this is a commission piece!

The bandage was crisp with dried blood as Ed slowly removed the dressing.

“How does it look?” Oswald murmured. His lanky counterpart bit his lips together as he suppressed a gag. Being in forensics Ed had seen plenty of gruesome things, but there was a disconnect with that sort of thing. This was all too real, and it was partly his fault. 

“It’s uhh-“ he paused to think of way to tell his foe (foe? Friend? Their status wasn’t exactly clear) that infection was starting to set in. Infected blood had a little bit of different scent so while the wound didn’t look infected, it was inevitable if not prevented. “Just come with me.”

“Take two pills with water. Medication may make you drowsy, though it’s probably best if you rest anyways-“ Ed paused, he didn’t want to seem sentimental. “-it’s best if we all rest, while we can.” 

Maybe it was the medication, or maybe it was everything that had happened suddenly sinking into his bones, but Oswald decided to take a nap.   
-  
What year it was Oswald wasn’t sure, but as he looked out of the limousine window he felt older than usual. The Ed sitting beside him sure seemed a bit more mature, and was certainly a better dresser. 

“You look well.” commented Ed.

“You, too.” Oswald politely replied, it had been so long since he had seen Ed’s face. A grin crept onto the tall mans face as he lowered his glasses. 

“A little thicker in the middle.” He chuckled, but then he noticed Oswald’s gaze flickered downward at his larger form. The older male had a tendency to stress eat. “Damn, it's good to see you, Oswald.” 

Ed’s laugh was infectious, so the older male let his guard down. Though he had a glass eye, that didn’t stop Oswald’s eyes from widening when he felt a gloved hand slowly creep to his inner thigh. 

Moments from saying _have your way with me_ the limousine stopped abruptly, the sound of the tires screeching ruining the mood. 

“Wh-What was that? What was that?” 

The two men looked forward at the windshield before toppling over as the vehicle crashed. 

“What the hell was that?!” Oswald hissed as he exited the limousine, Ed following suit. Before they could even process what was happening, there was a dark figure swooping towards them...  
-  
“Oswald? Oswald!”

When he opened his good eye, the dark haired male found himself lying on the ground with Ed and Barbara standing over him. 

“Oswald, are you alright?” Ed questioned, a hint of worry in his voice. 

“Where’s the baby?” was all Oswald replied. Barbara furrowed her brow. 

“Your dog?” Barbara asked. 

“No, I meant the thing you and Jim made.” he said snidely. But he knew being rude wouldn’t get him to his goal, so no matter how much it pained him he was going to have to be nice. “May I see her?” 

Barbara and Ed shared a concerned glance. They both knew Oswald wasn’t a huge fan of children. In fact for a moment Barbara debating saying no and pretending that the baby was asleep, but then the child cried from the other room. 

Oswald hobbled to where young Barbara Lee was, picking her up from her crib. For never holding a baby in his life besides for press he was surprisingly a natural. 

To him, there was nothing appealing about having a child, though some of his fondest memories were of childhood. The man had created a legacy for himself with no need for someone to continue it. 

“Shh, it’ll be alright. You were born into a...messy situation, but Gotham is a great city. It’s not in the best shape right now but it was and it will be again when you grow up. Barbara when you grow up, you will have the world at your fingertips. A bright and shining Gotham that let’s face it, with your bloodline, you’ll be a part of. You’re a symbol of what this city can be.” 

From the doorway watched Ed and the baby’s mother. 

“What was in that medicine he took that has him suddenly sentimental?” The blonde woman commented in a joking manner but Oswalds sudden kindness had his friend (friend? Foe? Something else? Their status wasn’t ever defined, as it changed almost every week) 

_Maybe he’s getting sentimental because the end times are coming. You know they say that people tend to get better before death because they know they are going to die._ Ed’s inner dialogue whispered. There was a possibility that the small amount of infection could spread, weakening the immune system of a man who already lived off stress and liquor, and with the current rationing situation...perhaps Oswald subconsciously knew he was dying. 

But in fact it was the opposite. Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot wasn’t dying anytime soon he was simply feeling optimistic about the future. 

Age is inevitable, that was a fact that he had to deal with. When the small child in his arms grew up to be a young adult, he wouldn’t be the same Oswald he was in that moment. Her fundamental moments would happen in this hell scape but if his dream proved anything it was that Gotham would survive this, and that meant he needed to secure an ally for those days to come. So maybe it wouldn’t hurt to play the role of Uncle Oswald. 

Eventually the young one fell back asleep, nestled into the crook of the mans arm. 

“Oswald?” Ed murmured as he approached, and Oswald turned his attention to him. “Can we have a talk?” 

After handing off the child to her mother, the two men headed into a nearby hallway. 

“I know we haven’t always exactly seen eye to eye, but I want...no I need you to know that I truly do respect you-“ 

“Is that a joke about my eye?” Oswald interrupted. 

“Oh god no! I-I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I’m sorry I froze up back there, I was scared but that will never happen again. I won’t disappoint.” Those words hadn’t meant to slip out, but they were true. Ed felt like he had disappointed Oswald, he was still that nerdy little forensic scientist who was in awe of the Penguin deep down.

“Ed-“ Oswald’s tone was softer. “You’ve certainly made me angry, but you could never disappoint me.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! You can find me on Tumblr (girlwiththetechnicolorheart) and TikTok (literalpugx)


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